Spirited News 04/2026 – Nc’Nean Huntress

I attended another tasting event organised by Kirsch Whisky. This time, we tasted the latest edition of the Nc’Nean Huntress. In addition, we tried five other spirits, ranging from the Nc’Nean Botanical Spirit to the Cask Strength Bottling.

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nnabel Thomas left her consulting job to set up a whisky distillery on her parents’ farm in Scotland, working alongside her father. After much planning, the first spirit was distilled in 2018, with the first whisky being released in 2021. At the begining of the tasting, we tried Annabel’s Botanical Spirit, a gin-style spirit made using Nc’Nean new make combined with ten botanicals, including juniper, bog myrtle and coriander seeds.

Juniper and elderberries

At first, the botanical spirit really reminded me of gin. I could detect hints of juniper, which were quickly joined by spicy and fruity notes reminiscent of elderberries. The taste lingered on the palate for a long time.

An organic malt

Next, we tried the iconic Nc’Nean Organic Single Malt. This whisky uses two strains of yeast and combines two longer-than-average fermentation periods. Following distillation, the spirit is aged in a combination of 55 % shaved, toasted and recharred Spanish wine casks (STR casks), 43 % ex-bourbon barrels and 2 % Oloroso sherry casks.

Signature perfumed notes

For me, the Nc’Nean Organic began with notes of red apple. However, there was also a touch of wine cask influence before the signature perfumed flavour emerged. After that, buttery notes and hints of cereals surfaced.

Stout cask for the win

After the ‘Organic’, we tried the latest release in the Quiet Rebels series, which celebrates a different team member each year. In this case, Simon, who is both a chef and a distiller, opted for a stout cask finish. The resulting whisky had green notes as well as roasted flavours. I enjoyed this one quite a lot.

A fruity huntress

In addition, the Huntress 2026 edition incorporates Belgian-style ale yeast into the fermentation process. Furthermore, the single malt is aged in casks comprising 50 % STR, 48 % ex-bourbon and 2 % Oloroso sherry. Here, the flavour that stayed with me the most was canned pineapple. I also tasted hints of molasses, fruit and perfume.

Second fill bourbon cask

The last two samples were both bottled at cask strength. First was a single cask release, which was initially presented at the 2026 Village whisky fair in Nuremberg. The second-fill bourbon cask showed classic bourbon barrel characteristics, such as notes of butter and spice. I also detected hints of straw, glue and heather, as well as perfumed flavours.

Powerful and balanced

The final dram of the evening was the Cask Strength Nc’Nean, produced in a similar way to the regular ‘Organic’ bottling. For me, it started with black tea and cacao. Soon afterwards, fruity wine notes took over, followed by a bourbon-like quality. Overall, this was my favourite spirit of the evening!

*The fact that I received a product reviewed in this article for free, did not – in any way – influence the rating of said product. I received the samples for free from Kirsch Whisky.